have to vs. get to

It’s all about perspective sometimes. 

Sometimes I say I have to cook dinner. Or I have to clean house. Or I have to go to school and talk to a teacher. Or I have to go to Wallyworld and deal with all the crazies humanity.

But do I say that I have to talk to my husband? Or that I have to talk to/play with my kid?  Or that I have to go on vacation?  No!  I get to… and that’s a beautiful thing because I love them.  And they love me.

But there is something else that I can make into a have to.

It’s reading God’s word.  But it isn’t!

I get to sit down any time and read what God wants to say to me.  Not only that, but it is my privilege to get to sit down and read words written just for me. 

last February Random!

Yes.. it’s Random Dozen time. I feel like saying “hellooooo out there” since I haven’t been on much lately. But I’m still getting over my bronchitis and the after affects of the meds. : p And then there are allergies and cold weather and then the whole “I really don’t feel like I have anything to say” deal. So anyhoo, here goes with the Random!

1. Have you ever fired a gun or shot a bow and arrow? No. I think I would be scared to do that… would probably freak out after I did it.

2. Do you know where your childhood best friends are? No, I have no idea, nor do I care to try to find them on Facebook. Life has moooved on, thankyouverymuch!

3. Do you usually arrive early, late, or on time? Early. I feel weird when I arrive just ‘on time’ and a place is already packed and I’ve got to find a place to sit etc. I would rather be a little early and scope things out and find my spot etc. Don’t even get me started about ‘the late’. Drives me nuts.

4. Are you more of a New York or California type? I have no idea. I used to get bugged when I’d watch David Letterman or Johnny Carson (yes, I am stinkin’ old!) and some comedian would be discussing the differences between New York and LA. Like I am supposed to know.. or care. Has anyone not informed those people that there are a vast many states in between NY and LA? To answer your question.. neither. Hubs has been to NYC and he came home telling me I would hate it. And I have zero desire to be an uppity LA person either. I am a van driving mom from the burbs and I like it.

5. Do you have a special ring tone? It’s a doorbell and I love it! It’s very discreet and not obnoxious. My old phone ring tone was the Animaniacs theme music.. so I think I can say a thing or two about obnoxious!

6. What is your favorite type of chip? Baked Tostitos if I’m being good and regular ole bbq Lays if I’m not.

7. Best comedy you've ever seen is ....I have no idea. Hubs and I used to watch Seinfeld and think there aren’t many that can top it.

8. Have you ever cut your own hair? To quote Dr. Phil, "How'd that work for ya?" I have not. And I don’t plan to take up home hair care with the Flowbee either. Although I *do* cut my hubby’s hair and it turns out good.

9. If you were going to have an extreme makeover, would you rather it be about your house or your personal self? I would rather buy another, bigger house and then have THAT house made over.

10. Are you allergic to anything? Can’t eat dairy.. not allergic to it, but it makes me sick. Allergic to codeine.

11. Why is it so hard to change? Because we are sinful people and often blinded to the fact that we are wrong and need to ‘change’.

12. One last question dedicated to February love: CS Lewis said, "To love is to be vulnerable." Please share one example of that assertion or share any thought you'd like to about this topic. Pfffffth. I dunno.

To hop on over and see how other people feel about extreme makeovers and cutting their own hair, check out Lid’s place at 2nd Cup!

our little snow dude

And what’s something fun after making a snow dude?

Cookies!!!  Warm ones! : )

I totally love these new little mixes from Duncan Hines! (and nobody is paying me or giving me anything free to say it, either!)  This one makes about a dozen cookies… although the box says 16.  But anyway, it’s just enough.  Love it!  Duncan Hines also makes a mini cake mix and a mini brownie mix.  So great when you don’t want a huge batch of something. 

Perfect for a cold, snowy day.

they say it’s a record

It snowed! (and snowed and snowed and snowed)  They said we were going to get between 1 and 3 inches.  They kinda goofed up a little bit.  It snowed for 24 hours straight. I don’t think I can remember a time it’s ever done that here.   Oh yeah… officially we got about 12 inches.  Wow. Just wow. 

One time when I was a kid we had lots of snow and my parents wanted me to go get the paper and bring it in, so I put on my dad’s cowboy boots and shuffled out there only to get snow down my leg from the top of the boots. That’s about the most I can ever remember us getting. At one point the weather men were discussing what I think was that event and then saying we were going to pass it up. So I guess we did.  12 inches!

We didn’t play in it because we’re all sick now.  Lovely, I know.  But we’ve all enjoyed looking out the windows at it.  And I even stepped outside yesterday and this morning to snap some pix of it.  So enjoy. 

This was pretty early on.  Love the white in the trees.

This is out the kitchen window. It pretty much covered the bush.

I took a measuring stick out at some point yesterday afternoon and we were measuring 6. It continued to snow for another 12 hours after that.

My pretty magnolia tree weighed down with snow.

The swing set with snow all over it. Notice the branches weighed down above it.  There are lots of people without power today because of trees giving from the weight of the snow and snapping power lines.  We had a flicker last night, but we never lost power.  There are also reports of roof collapses and carports caving in. Thankfully we are all snug as a bug in a rug.

How’d you like to sit your booty on that?!  I certainly wouldn’t now, but I remember doing crazy things like that when I played in the snow as a kid.

More trees… heavier this morning.

 

Looking out the window, there is constant snow falling. It looks like it’s still snowing, but it’s actually snow falling out of the limbs. Sometimes a big ole chunk will fall. I wouldn’t want to be standing under that!

More bushes covered.

It’s is a good bit up the fence there too. 

This has been a very typical El Nino winter.. very wet and more snow/ice than usual. It’s pretty and we’ve loved looking at it.  But a part of me longs for spring and warmer weather.  Thankfully this is Texas and it’s supposed to be 50 tomorrow!

some sniffy randomness

 

Since I’m still feeling cruddy and sniffy, I’m enjoying the random this week.  All I have to do is play along.  So here we go…

1. Are you pleasant when you're ill, or are you a grumpy, fussy patient?  I’m kind of fussy and whiney.

2. When you find out that school is canceled (due to inclement weather) what is your gut reaction? Woot! We can all stay in!

3. What is one domestic skill you wish you could improve? Sewing.  I can sew, but nothing fancy. I would love to learn how to quilt, but you really need better than average skills to do it.

4. Do you decorate your home for Valentine's Day? Nope.

5. What song is on your mind today?  Nothing.  I haven’t listened to any music this past week, since I’ve been under the weather with the creeping crud. 

6. Do you prefer contemporary movies or classic? Contemporary.

7. How well do you "compartmentalize" your feelings? For example, how well can you put aside a really trying moment to deal with the immediate situation which is not related to the trying moment, e.g., putting aside a tiff with your spouse in order to finish wallpapering a room.   Pretty well.  Had to learn to live that way when our son was ill. 

8. What is the first thing that attracted you to your spouse? (Or if you're single, to your best friend.)  He was really nice. And soft spoken.  And funny. And cute. Oh wait.. you said ‘first’.  Sorry.  : )  But all of those were ‘firsts’ since I knew him for a while before we dated. 

9. When was the last time your heart raced?  Pttth. I dunno.

10. What are your memories of Valentine's Day at school? I hated it.  The teachers always ‘made’ the kids put a valentine in every box but I never got one from everybody. I think about that now and think ‘who cares’, but that is big stuff to a little kid. I always thought the sentiments on them were stupid too.  Who really says that kind of stuff?

11. If you were going to receive candy for Valentine's Day, which would you prefer?  Reese’s Pieces.  I love them and I can eat them without getting sick. If it weren’t for milk problems, then chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate!

12. Red or pink?  PINK!  (duh) lol

This week’s questions were fun and easy.  So glad. Don’t think I would be up to answering any heavy stuff this week.  Go visit Linda at 2nd Cup to see who else played along.

my three buddies

These have been my constant buddies lately.

 

‘Cuz I ain’t been feelin’ so hot.

Actually I have bronchitis.  Have had it for a week and I’m slooooowly on the mend.

And if you’ll look there under the remote, there is a crease in the carpet.  Because I’ve been sleeping on the sofa bed.

‘Cuz I don’t want all the coughing and blowing to wake anybody up.

I was putting the sheets on the sofa bed for Miss Boo, though. Right when I was starting to ‘go down’ with my bronchitis, she was going to have FOUR teeth pulled.  Um..yeah. So I made the sofa bed for her, and then took it over after after that.

Leave it to the kitty to feel the need to get in on the action. Now you see her….

…now you don’t.

And yes, she crawled into the couch cavity.. right where her little nose is pointing in the first pic. 

I really have spent most of my time either laying on the couch or in the couch bed.  I’ve read some blogs off and on and commented a little here or there.  But nothing consistent. Sometimes I’ll think I want to comment but then my brain freezes over and I can’t think of a single thing to say.  DUH.

I’m thinking I may do ‘the random’ tomorrow, and then maybe by the end of the week I’ll feel more like myself.  So don’t be offended if I haven’t made the bloggy rounds.  The only rounds I’m making these days are between the couch, the kleenexes and the inhaler.

it’s dainty

I wear the same necklace every day.  I guess you could say I’m not much for accessorizing. Just throw on the same ole thing and be done with it.  I put it on and silently know why I own it.  Because Bub died.  But I don’t dwell on it heavily throughout the day. It’s just there. 

Until someone mentions it. I went to visit someone today that has commented on my necklace in the past, so it brought those thoughts to the forefront again, even though it wasn’t mentioned today.

I love my little necklace.  It’s dainty.  That’s what my jeweler calls everything I have. Dainty. I’m built small. When I was picking out my wedding ring with him, he called it dainty too.  My finger is a children’s size. (I can still wear a ring I was given by my grandmother when I was probably 9 or 10 and I haven’t had to resize it. I wear it on my right ring finger every day.)

So anyway… the necklace. It reminded me of something today. 

Over the Christmas holiday, we did a lot of house cleaning. We were all home and none of us were overly tired from working and school, so we got a lot done. And that was good.  But one of the things we did was re-arrange ‘the closet’.. Bub’s closet/office closet.  Every few years we go through and straighten up and throw out etc.

And I found one of Bub’s favorite books! The butterfly book. It wasn’t called that, but that’s what HE called it.

Yes, his favorite book came to us already well loved. But that’s ok.  Every time we read the book, we had to stop so he could look at the butterflies.   

His favorite was the green one in the center left area. We always had to stop so he could admire all of them.. but especially the green one.

It was easy to decide what to have made in memory of him.

There is another post that tells more of the story of my necklace here.